Seamed metal article



June 23, 1925. 1,543,497

W. L. R. EMMET ET AL SEAMED METAL ARTICLE Filed Nov,. 28, 1921 Inventors WiHiam LREmmeL,

Samuel T Thorpe,

I Their Attorne Patented June 23, 1925.

vran as shed? Fic.

WILLIAM 'I. R. EMIBIET, 0F SCHE NECTADY, NEW YORK, AND SAMUEL T. TH'ORPE, OF

BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT; SAID EMMET ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COM- PANY, A CORJPORATION OF NEW YORK, AND SAID THO'RPE ASSIGNOR TO THE HORTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, A

OF CONNECTICUT.

OGRPORATION snamn'n METAL arrrIcLE.

Application filed November 28, 1921. Serial No. 518,483.

To all whom it may concern:

Be -it known that we, WILLIAM L. R. EMMET and SAMUEL T. Trronrn, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, and at Bristol, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seamed Metal Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to, seamed metal articles and particularly to such articles as are designed to withstand severe bending and twisting strains and which, when distorted, will return to their original form when the strain to which they are subjected is removed.

One object of the present invention is to form such an article with a seam that will not only serve firmly to unite the parts but will not impair the elasticity of the article as a whole.

l/Vhile. our invention may be embodied in a variety of forms, we have disclosed it in connection with seamed steel tubes. Such tubes may be used for many 'purposes,such, for example, as in the frames of aeroplanes andbicycles. In the present instance, however, we have shown one as constituting the shaft for a golfclub.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tapered steel tube constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the strip which is adapted to be in sci-ted between the edges of the body portion of the tube; Fig. 3 is an end view of a tube showing the manner in which the strip is applied to the body portion, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a golf club, the shaft of which has been formed of a tube similar to that shown in Fig. 1'.

Referring to Fig. 1, 10 represents the body portion and a' longitudinal seam formed of substantially abutting edges 12 of the body portion and a strip 13, a part of which lies between the abutting edges and is secured thereto by a suitable binder, and the re, mainder of which lies along the inner curved surface of the tube andis secured thereto in the same manner. The body portion is preferably constructed of sheet steel approximately cut and formed upon a mandrel.

The strip 13, as may be seen from Fig. 2, is T-shaped in cross-section and is formed ofsheet-steel bent upon itself at let and again bent at right angles at the junction of the cross and upright portions of the T. The upright portion is provided with projecting ears 15 which are employed as shown in Fig. 3 to hold the strip in place dur'ng the joining operation. In practice after the strip is inserted, as shown in Fig. 3, that part which constitutes the cross or top portion of the T is forced into close contact with the curved inner surface of the tube. The tube is tightly wound With...9isbestos tape or by some other means is held in such a way that the edges 12 are forced into close contact with the strip 13. The binding material, preferably in the form of copper wire, is introduced into the interior of the tube and the whole is heated to the melting point of the binding material in an atmosphereof hydrogen and then allowed to cool. The binding material flows in between the stri and wall of the tube throughout their proximate surfaces and completely fills all interstices, with the result that there is-formed an integral uniform wall in which strains do not become localized and cause failure when the tube is subjected to flexure and torsion strains. Subsequent treatment may be employed such as tempering and annealing and in the finishing of the tube the cars 15 and any other projecting portions of the strip 13 are ground off. In the tempering process the strip as well as the body portion will receive a. hardening treatment. It also appears that the strength of the joint between the steel and copper is improved by the tempering operation.

As a binding material, we prefer to use copper in a highly purified state, preferably copper which is free from occluded gases and from which all oxide has been eliminated. There are, however, other binders which we have found to be effective, such, for example, as certain alloys of copper. One such alloy consists of 93 parts copper and 7 parts aluminum; another is composed of 93 parts copper and 10 parts nickel.

Silver also under certain conditions may be used as a binding agent. The composition of the strip 13 should be chosen such that in the finished tube it has an elasticity at least as great as that of the body portion 10. Both body portion and strip may be formed of any one of various alloys of steel. A metal which does not rust readily, such as alloys of steel and chromium, is in many cases desirable;

While we have disclosed the strip 13 as composed of sheet metal bent into the illustrated form, it is obvious that the strip may be formed as a solid bar rolled or drawn into the required shape. When the material of which the strip is composed is a high carbon steel, it is in general easier to form the strip of sheet metal bent in. the manner described.

The method disclosed of making the artiole is not claimed herein, said method being disclosed and claimed in our pending application for method of producing-tubular metallic articles, Serial No. 19,089, filed March 28, 1925, as a division and continuation of the present application.

What we claim as new and desire to se cure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. A thin steel tube having a seam which is formed of substantially abutting edges, a thin sheet steel strip located between the edges and bridging the joint on the inner side of the tube, and a cuprous binder filling the interstices between and uniting the edges and strip throughout their proximate surfaces.

2. A. thin tapered steel tube having a longitudinal seam formed of substantially abutting edges and a thin sheet steel strip of substantially T-shape in cross section and having elasticity at least as great as that ,of

the remainder of the tube, the upright portion of the T being located between the abutting edges and the cross portion of the T extending along the inner surface of the tube and secured thereto by a cuprous binder filling the interstices between and uniting the edges and strip throughout their proximate surfaces.

3. A thin sheet steel tube formed with its edges in abutting relation and a thin steel member bridging the joint between said edges on the inner side of the tube and having a portion extending outwardly between said edges, whereby the edges and member mutually support each other against lateral displacement, and a cuprous binder filling the interstices between and uniting the edges and member throughout their proximate surfaces.

4. A resilient golf club shaft comprising a thin sheet steel tube formed with its edges in abutting relation and a thin steel member bridging the joint between said edges on the inner side of the tube and having a portion extending outwardly between said edges, whereby the edges and member mutually support each other against lateral displacement, and a cuprous binder filling the interstices between and uniting the edges and member throughout their proximate surfaces.

5. A resilient tapered golf club shaft comprising a thin sheet steel tube tapering uniformly from end to end and formed with its edges in abutting relation, and a thin steel member bridging the joint between said edges on the inner side of the tube and having a portion extending outwardly between said edges, whereby the edges and member mutually support each other against lateral displacement, and a cuprous binder filling the interstices between and uniting the edges and member throughout their proximate surfaces.

6. A seamed steel tube comprising a temperable sheet steel body ortion having o posed edges, a temperab e sheet steel strip having" portions lying along the inner surface of said tube adjacent said edges and a portion extending between said edges, and a cuprous binder filling the interstices between and securing said strip and tube together throughout their proximate surfaces.

7. A seamed steel tube comprising a temperable sheet steel body having opposed spaced edges, a temperable sheet steel strip having oppositely extending portions lying against the inner surface of said tube adj acent said edges and having its central portion extending outwardly between said edges, and a cupi'ous binder filling the interstices between and securing said strip and tube together throughout their proximate surfaces.

8. A resilient golf club shaft comprising a sheet steel tube formed with its edges in abutting relation, :1 steel member bridging the joint between the edges of said tube, and a metal binder filling the interstices between and uniting the edges and member throughout their proximate surfaces, said binder having a melting point below that at which decarbonization of the tube and member takes place.

9. A. resilient golf club sha it comprising a sheet steel tube formed with its edges in abutting relation, a steel member bridging the joint between the edges of said tube and a metal binder filling'the interstices between and uniting the edges and member throughout their proximate surfaces, safl member and binder being such that the elasticity of 5 the resulting se am is as great as that of the body portion of the' tiibe.

In Witness w hereof. WILLIAM L. R. Eirhas hereunto set his hand this 21st day of November 1921,- and SAMUEL T. THORPE} WILLIAM L. R. EMMET. SAMUEL T. THORPE. 

